1954 Practical Bar Management by Eddie Clarke

THE ART OF WINING

marked with a white splash, as they have no labels, although the corks are branded with the name ofthe proprietor and the date.

The Art of Decanting Fine old wines, both red and sometimes white, will tend to throw a deposit whilst they are maturing, and therefore they should be decanted. Vintage Ports should be decanted some three or four hours before serving,to let the wine breathe; Clarets and Burgundies at least an hour before. The wine should be decanted in, or as near as possible to where it is stored, in order to disturb the deposit as little as possible. Should a strainer be necessary, use clean muslin, but make sure it is clean, otherwise it mayimpart an unpleasant taste to the wine. It is not advisable to use a metal wine-strainer, especially one that has recently been cleaned with polish. When decanting wine,the following precautions are necessary: 1. First make sure the decanter is perfectly clean, to avoid a musty smell. 2. Lift the bottle with loving care from its bin and lay it gently in the cradle (decanting basket). 3. Carefully remove the capsule and wax, where it exists; wipe away with a damp serviette or cloth any dirt, dust or cobwebs from around the cork, then hold the neck of the bottle firmly with the damp serviette or cloth, gently insert the point of the corkscrew and turn one way only until it protrudes from the other end of the cork ; then steadily draw the cork to avoid disturbing any sediment which may exist. Holding the neck of the bottle with the serviette or cloth when drawing a cork acts as a safety measure. This applies particularly to Champagne bottles, because any weakness in the making of a bottle(which is very rare) will be affected by the natural gasses in the bottle, especially where an obstinate cork is involved which requires the use of a corkscrew. 4. After drawing the cork, carefully wipe the neck and lip of the bottle, then pour out a little of the wine, smell and taste it to make sure that it is in good condition and not corky. 5. The cradle has now served its purpose, which was to give the necessary tilt to the bottle, just enough to prevent the wine being spilt whilst the cork was being removed. Now hold a decanter close to a lighted candle or any form of light and lift

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